I'm not against showers in general (when they're done well... I've been to some pretty sad showers before); I like getting dressed up and seeing friends and celebrating and being girly. So in my mind when I'm thinking of sitting there in my done-up hair and my nice dress and makeup with my nose in a "dirty" diaper.... those two things just don't go together to me.
I do like the idea of the onesie decorating and bingo, though. Or some kind of trivia/guessing game. I went to a shower around Christmas time one year and there was a game where there were little pictures that we had to guess what Christmas carol the pictures were trying to illustrate. That was fun. Maybe I can suggest something like someone gives you a song lyric with the word "baby" in it and you guess the song title... or something along those lines.
I also might be a little cynical because my wedding shower did not go so amazingly, so now I'm worried about any baby shower I have not going so well either. But what can ya do?
I generally am not a fan of showers or games but at my SILs co-ed shower she had people send baby pics. There were about 28 baby pics displayed and we had to guess who they all were. It was actually a lot of fun! My son looks just like his uncle so there was a lot of confusion (from non-family) about which baby was my husband and which was his brother. Everyone at the party was wearing a name tag and it definitely helped me mingle more with the couples' coworkers.
@annabenanna - I have a doppler but am never convinced I'm hearing the heartbeat, as the placenta and other things make noise too...or at least I've been told via some YouTube videos. Does anyone have a video they used prior to the doppler that's good? I'm pretty sure I heard the HB last week, but wasn't convinced. At my last dr's appointment 3 weeks ago the doctor put the doppler on an immediately "found it" but I swore it didn't sound like the baby's, but I'm trusting her as the doctor. I sound really crazy.
I'm also not a fan of shower games. I went to a baby shower for one of my BFFs a couple of weeks ago and instead of games they had a station for making headbands (she's having a girl). I didn't do one but thought it was really cute.
Me: 31
DH: 32
Married: Sep 2012
TTC #1: Jan 2015 Baby A (via IUI due to MFI): Sep 2016 born at 35+6
Surprise but very welcome + on 5/16/2019, EDD 1/25/2020
@MorganL925 I can't remember which youtube video taught me this, but I hope this description helps you. The placenta does make a sound but it's a very slow and loud sort of glug glug. Once I find that, I move the doppler just the tiniest bit until I hear the fast, hard heartbeats. Sometimes I also move the doppler to the lower left or right side of my stomach so I can compare it with my own slower heartbeat just to make sure I'm hearing the right thing. I'm not a doctor so I'm really just going by what the video said and what the heartbeat sounded like when my doctor found it.
@MorganL925, I watched a gajillion youtube videos before attempting to find the heartbeat myself... but this is what I've found helps me distinguish between the different sounds going on there:
- The placenta sounds like outer space: wooossshhh, woooooshhhh, woooooshhhh. - My heartbeat is much much slower. In the beginning I was confusing my heartbeat with the baby's. - The baby's heartbeat is much much faster. S.O. says it sounds like a helicopter. It's super fast and unmistakable.
It helps to know what you are looking for, what the baby's heartbeat sounds like. So at your next doctor's appointment, can you ask if you can record the sound? Let me see if I can upload my vid on youtube for you! Stay tuned.
I had my check up at the OB/GYN today. She did an ultrasound to measure my cervix and make sure baby is alive (I STILL have period cramping) and she asked if I wanted to check the sex. The prenatal geneticist had told me at 14 weeks that it was a boy but I wasn't feeling very sure and was like heck, yes! So she checked and it was quite obvious it was a boy. I'm 17+4 today so that's pretty final. After the appointment she gave me a picture from the US which was totally unexpected. Then I looked at it. She printed me a picture of a close up of my son's penis - ONLY his penis. You can't even tell it's human. What am I supposed to DO with this picture?! I feel kind of dirty carrying it around...
I always find my own heartbeat first, then the baby's. Mine is easier and slower, but it seems fast when I first hear it. It's more swooshy, and then the baby is faster and more percussive.
I always feel like buying or renting a doppler at this time in pregnancy is pointless, because you'll be feeling kicks from anywhere from 16 weeks onward. Of course it can give some reassurance when baby is having quiet days (though mine have NEVER had quiet days so maybe I'm a SS).
I want there to be a thread for "Things I Am Buying Because I Am a Paranoid Pregnant Woman" (this would be a good place to discuss dopplers btw) but I don't want to start zika wars or etc. So I am going to put this here:
Exofficio bugsaway jacket (mosquito treated):
and Exofficio bugsaway treated sweatpants:
I also plan to take out a small loan to make myself a finely meshed stainless steel ball of mosquito protection for camping trips this year. Ok that was a lie, but yes I am a ridiculous human being.
@NoraAurora , I'd give Permethrin all the thumbs up! I hiked Machu Picchu in 2013, and while all the other hikers in our group were covered in little chigger bites, we remained bite-less because of the Permethrin! I didn't want to use a topical cream or spray because I knew that not showering for 4 days + greasy bug spray/cream was going to make me miserable.... so I only relied on Permethrin.... such an effective product!
@annabenanna - omg, I wish I had known about it on a mountain climb after graduating high school. I didn't get bitten (most of my group had gnarly, face covering, eye-swelling mosquito bites!) but layering bug spray over sunblock on a daily basis for 6 days (combined with copious amounts of sweat) resulted in me being the most physically disgusting I have ever been in my life.
Another board was talking about baby shower games, and it got me thinking about them.
Am I the only one who HATES the game where you put the melted candy bars in the diapers and then try to guess what the candy is? I just think it's gross and tacky. Also... waste of perfectly good candy and diapers.
Also, don't like the game here everyone wears the pin and you can't say the word "baby." I'm just thinking either no one will actually keep up with it, or there will be That Person who follows everyone around like a hawk trying to get them to say it and acting crazy just to win a jar of pickles or something.
Not so much into the game where people try to guess how big your belly is either. I don't go around trying to guess how big your gut is, grandma, so let's not try to figure out mine, mmkay?
.....basically I'm too cynical for a shower, is what I'm trying to say, maybe?
I've never witnessed any of these horrendous "games," but they sure do make me glad that most of my friends and I don't have baby showers. I just can't imagine who would find any of that fun!
@books&icecream I cramped through all of DS's pregnancy. Anything from mildly annoying to "something has to be wrong" even though it was normal. I and to drink an absurd amount of water and relax a lot to keep them at bay. I have pictures of both DS's bits and now this ones and I just tucked them away in the safe with the others. I don't want to throw them out, but it's not like I'm ever going to show anyone.
On the shower games note....this may be UO but I specifically asked that there be NO games at the shower my SIL and BFF are throwing. I don't really enjoy shower games, but I'll go along with a couple if I have to.....problem is, my SIL gets super carried away with them. I think we played 8...EIGHT....at my bridal shower because she planned that too. People definitely lost interest after 2.
Me:33 DH: 34 Married: May 2011 TTC #1: May 2015 DS: 10/20/2016 TTC #2: June 2019 #2 EDD: 2/20/2020
@ibabyloveb87 yeeeeeeah I did the same thing! Last shower I threw my co host wanted to play a million games and you're right, everyone lost interest! It was really kind of awkward. If there have to be games, I think keep it to like 2-3. I know dictating these things for your own shower is an UO, but I whenever I've hosted showers I always ask the guest of honor their preference. Some people just aren't into them. Luckily my friends aren't really into games either so it's all good.
Although... I am ok with the trivia type and brain games. And I DO love gift bingo. I just love bingo in general.
Today was my birthday, and H brought home the most amazing cupcakes from the bakery we used for our wedding cake. I had an Oreo one that was delicious, and am saving the margarita one for lunch tomorrow. I love cake...
Is anyone on the board right now? I would really like some input on my announcement before I post it!
*American lady living in Tanzania.
DH - Tanzanian Maasai
BFP #1 - MC Dec 2, 2015 (@ 9weeks) BFP #2 - Feb 2, 2016 --EDD 10/10/16 --Abigail- October 6, 2016. Heart warrior. October 2017- Began fostering to adopt T, (DOB:November 19, 2013)
BFP #1 - MC Dec 2, 2015 (@ 9weeks) BFP #2 - Feb 2, 2016 --EDD 10/10/16 --Abigail- October 6, 2016. Heart warrior. October 2017- Began fostering to adopt T, (DOB:November 19, 2013)
Really upset about the dried booger I found stuck to my phone screen this morning... I KNOW that didn't belong to me and would like to know how the hell it got there, and whose it was.
I spent the equivalent of $3.50 on a small bag of cool ranch doritos yesterday because it was the first time I had ever seen them here in Tanzania. They are so delicious I can't even handle it.
*American lady living in Tanzania.
DH - Tanzanian Maasai
BFP #1 - MC Dec 2, 2015 (@ 9weeks) BFP #2 - Feb 2, 2016 --EDD 10/10/16 --Abigail- October 6, 2016. Heart warrior. October 2017- Began fostering to adopt T, (DOB:November 19, 2013)
@ladyshark311 I've never been so sad about finishing a bag of chips. hahahah
*American lady living in Tanzania.
DH - Tanzanian Maasai
BFP #1 - MC Dec 2, 2015 (@ 9weeks) BFP #2 - Feb 2, 2016 --EDD 10/10/16 --Abigail- October 6, 2016. Heart warrior. October 2017- Began fostering to adopt T, (DOB:November 19, 2013)
I sent my mom a picture of the baby bump this morning, which I don't usually do. I just post them on HDBD and keep them in the app. Her reaction: WOAH!!!!
Gee, thanks mom. Then again she hasn't seen me since Easter so I guess I do look quite a bit different from 11/almost 12 weeks...
Me:33 DH: 34 Married: May 2011 TTC #1: May 2015 DS: 10/20/2016 TTC #2: June 2019 #2 EDD: 2/20/2020
@scostel2 I'm particularly fond of this Nantucket Nectars one but I can never find it in VA. Welch' just put out this naturally simple one (forget the name) and it tastes almost exactly like theirs, it's so good! I'm the same though I never drank juice at all!
I ended up on the july 2014 archived catfish thread and I can't stop.....
*American lady living in Tanzania.
DH - Tanzanian Maasai
BFP #1 - MC Dec 2, 2015 (@ 9weeks) BFP #2 - Feb 2, 2016 --EDD 10/10/16 --Abigail- October 6, 2016. Heart warrior. October 2017- Began fostering to adopt T, (DOB:November 19, 2013)
@kmolleltz Ranch Doritos are my all time favorite chip, maybe even all time fave salty snack - I'm pretty sure I would have spent $10 on a small bag if I hadn't had any in like FOREVER...and I probably would have spent another $10 for a second bag to be enjoyed later... Did you lick out the crumbs, too? I would have and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Enjoy!!
@LMNOBaby i made sure the bag was totally clean. Hahah.
*American lady living in Tanzania.
DH - Tanzanian Maasai
BFP #1 - MC Dec 2, 2015 (@ 9weeks) BFP #2 - Feb 2, 2016 --EDD 10/10/16 --Abigail- October 6, 2016. Heart warrior. October 2017- Began fostering to adopt T, (DOB:November 19, 2013)
Re: Weekly Randoms (May 9)
I'm not against showers in general (when they're done well... I've been to some pretty sad showers before); I like getting dressed up and seeing friends and celebrating and being girly. So in my mind when I'm thinking of sitting there in my done-up hair and my nice dress and makeup with my nose in a "dirty" diaper.... those two things just don't go together to me.
I do like the idea of the onesie decorating and bingo, though. Or some kind of trivia/guessing game. I went to a shower around Christmas time one year and there was a game where there were little pictures that we had to guess what Christmas carol the pictures were trying to illustrate. That was fun. Maybe I can suggest something like someone gives you a song lyric with the word "baby" in it and you guess the song title... or something along those lines.
I also might be a little cynical because my wedding shower did not go so amazingly, so now I'm worried about any baby shower I have not going so well either. But what can ya do?
I'm also not a fan of shower games. I went to a baby shower for one of my BFFs a couple of weeks ago and instead of games they had a station for making headbands (she's having a girl). I didn't do one but thought it was really cute.
Baby A (via IUI due to MFI): Sep 2016 born at 35+6
- The placenta sounds like outer space: wooossshhh, woooooshhhh, woooooshhhh.
- My heartbeat is much much slower. In the beginning I was confusing my heartbeat with the baby's.
- The baby's heartbeat is much much faster. S.O. says it sounds like a helicopter. It's super fast and unmistakable.
It helps to know what you are looking for, what the baby's heartbeat sounds like. So at your next doctor's appointment, can you ask if you can record the sound? Let me see if I can upload my vid on youtube for you! Stay tuned.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHW9R9ePcAE and
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mfO1e8y6Xo
Here's the recording of my baby's heartbeat. I took this video at 10 + 2. It's just a guideline to help you with what you should be listening for.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI5sooNAlTo&feature=youtu.be
Hope these help!
Baby A (via IUI due to MFI): Sep 2016 born at 35+6
BFP: February 2016 EDD: October 17, 2016
DS#2 due 25 April 2019
I want there to be a thread for "Things I Am Buying Because I Am a Paranoid Pregnant Woman" (this would be a good place to discuss dopplers btw) but I don't want to start zika wars or etc. So I am going to put this here:
Exofficio bugsaway jacket (mosquito treated):
and Exofficio bugsaway treated sweatpants:
I also plan to take out a small loan to make myself a finely meshed stainless steel ball of mosquito protection for camping trips this year. Ok that was a lie, but yes I am a ridiculous human being.
I'm not even a mom yet, but this made me laugh out loud. Can't wait to see it!
BFP: February 2016 EDD: October 17, 2016
DH: 34
Married: May 2011
TTC #1: May 2015
DS: 10/20/2016
TTC #2: June 2019
#2 EDD: 2/20/2020
Although... I am ok with the trivia type and brain games. And I DO love gift bingo. I just love bingo in general.
BFP #1: 7/15/15, SB: 11/14/15
Rainbow baby DS born 9/29/16!!
BFP #3 3/26/18 | Due 12/3/18
BFP #2 - Feb 2, 2016 --EDD 10/10/16 --Abigail- October 6, 2016. Heart warrior.
October 2017- Began fostering to adopt T, (DOB:November 19, 2013)
ETA: and bumping at work....
BFP #2 - Feb 2, 2016 --EDD 10/10/16 --Abigail- October 6, 2016. Heart warrior.
October 2017- Began fostering to adopt T, (DOB:November 19, 2013)
BFP #2 - Feb 2, 2016 --EDD 10/10/16 --Abigail- October 6, 2016. Heart warrior.
October 2017- Began fostering to adopt T, (DOB:November 19, 2013)
@kmolleltz I'm not a huge Doritos fan but I can totally see why you spent that! Lol I'm sure if I hadn't had them for years I would do the same
BFP #2 - Feb 2, 2016 --EDD 10/10/16 --Abigail- October 6, 2016. Heart warrior.
October 2017- Began fostering to adopt T, (DOB:November 19, 2013)
Gee, thanks mom. Then again she hasn't seen me since Easter so I guess I do look quite a bit different from 11/almost 12 weeks...
DH: 34
Married: May 2011
TTC #1: May 2015
DS: 10/20/2016
TTC #2: June 2019
#2 EDD: 2/20/2020
BFP #2 - Feb 2, 2016 --EDD 10/10/16 --Abigail- October 6, 2016. Heart warrior.
October 2017- Began fostering to adopt T, (DOB:November 19, 2013)
BFP #2 - Feb 2, 2016 --EDD 10/10/16 --Abigail- October 6, 2016. Heart warrior.
October 2017- Began fostering to adopt T, (DOB:November 19, 2013)